It isn’t often we are treated to the backstory of one of the couples for whom we are printing invitations. Yes, we see their names and where and when they are getting married, but unfortunately there is no “get to know the couple” space on the order form. So when Georgetown stationer Just Paper & Tea reached out to us with exactly that when a particular order needed a bit of TLC, we had that rare opportunity to learn a little bit more about Shannon and Chuck, their wedding, and their truly touching tale.
How did you and your fiancé meet?
Chuck and I met just outside of Washington, DC. In an auditorium of thousands, I sat one seat away from him and directly beside Andrew, who will be our Best Man. Chuck approached me later that day, exclaiming, “Ma’am, ma’am! We didn’t get a chance to introduce ourselves!” Two weeks later, after realizing that he would be passing through Washington again, Chuck asked me to dinner.
How did he propose?
Chuck sent me on a surprise scavenger hunt to our favorite places in the Washington area. At each stop, a different group of family and friends were waiting with the next clue—a piece of paper with a QR code that I scanned to retrieve a video message guiding me to the next location. The final clue led me to the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, where Chuck was waiting with a ring!
Tell me about the process of choosing your wedding invitations. Did you have something in mind going into your first appointment? Did that change?
When looking at wedding invitations we had two primary considerations—the quality of the paper and the elegance of the design. After researching various options online, we found only one company that could deliver on both the quality paper and timeless elegance we sought: Crane. We were very pleased to see that the paper was even more beautiful in person than it appeared in pictures. Additionally, the custom-edge gilding was truly a work of art!
Describe the invitation suite you ended up with and why you fell in love with that design.
We chose an ecru heavy weight gilt edged invitation because of its traditional nature. We wanted something that would stand the test of time, something that we will be able to pass down to our future children as a keepsake for years to come.
Was there anything about the process of choosing your invitations you weren’t expecting?
Crane went above and beyond anything that we could have ever expected! Crane not only created the most beautiful invitations we could have ever dreamed of, but their staff was absolutely delightful to work with! Their customer service, attention to detail and responsiveness were truly remarkable. We are incredibly grateful to have been able to work with them on our wedding invitations.
Do you have any advice for brides-to-be on the invitation process?
Aside from choosing a good stationer, like Crane, equally important is finding a good custom stationery store to work with to order your invitations. We worked with Carolyn and Nick at Just Paper and Tea in Georgetown. They were absolutely the nicest, most incredible people that we have worked with while planning our wedding! Not only are they genuinely good people, but they are also highly professional and have been in the stationery business for over 25 years. Had it not been for them, our wedding invitation experience would not have been nearly the same.
What moment are you most looking forward to on your big day?
We believe that marriage is a sacred covenant, and one ordained by God. We are most looking forward to committing ourselves to one another before the Lord and all of our closest family and friends. For us, this is the most important part of our wedding day.
Do you have a Crane invitation suite you think would make for a lovely Real Weddings feature? Email us at submissions@crane.com.
